Though our third annual Endless Donna Summer party at last Wednesday's Good Times was dampened by Donna's death one month earlier, me and guest DJ Michael T. decided that the show/party should go on as a celebration for all the music Donna gave to us. And Heaven Knows Donna would have wanted it that way.

Early bird W. Jeremy (left) arrived just as the party got started at 10pm, in part because he'll be taking the DJ helm at next Wednesday's Good Times while I DJ Booty Call in San Francisco and in part so he could get and give big bear kisses like the one you see here.

Mike helped warm me up during my warm up set, which did not include the 17 minute mix of Love To Love You Baby but only because I promised myself I'd save it until after 2am when it works the best.

GYM BOZOS! I used to hang with these two all day and night at my old gym stomping grounds so its nice to finally see them with cocktails in hand rather than barbells.

From way back in the DJ booth, we all kind of gagged when we spotted the ginormous blonde hair on the left from the opposite end of the bar. I didn't get to chat much with these three heavenly creatures but I'm hoping this is just the beginning of many more Good Times looks (and drinks) for them.

She works hard for the vodka sodas so you better treat her RIGHT.

Gugu has officially been elevated to muse status, since her looks are always so inspired and inspiring and she never fails to bring it, even when making a quick nightlife appearance.

Mike (left) and an admirer, helping him "tune in" to On the Radio or whatever was playing at this point in the evening.

Me and Michael T., who is the driving force behind our annual Endless Donna Summer party and probably the biggest Donna Summer fan I have ever met. He started his midnight set with the 18 minute MacArthur Park Suite, which paved the way for an epic evening, as you will soon see in the photos.

Sunset people: doing it right, night after night.

MUSES! Need I say more?

It just isn't a Good Times photo set if someone doesn't bend over for a highly inappropriate photo. And this was still early on in the evening.

Garrett (left) brought Jorgie out for his first ever Good Times experience, which didn't last all that long but we made somehow made him smile so we're hoping to turn him into a repeat offender.

Getting ready to embark on a journey to the center of his shorts.

Our Endless Donna Summer party coincided not only with the summer solstice / start of summer but also with the first heatwave of 2012, where temperatures outside reached 96 F / 35 C. Hot stuff indeed.

I was absolutely devastated to hear that Nana (right, with Alvin) is no longer shaking her tambourine behind the bar at Boiler Room anymore. She is, however, always welcome to do tambourine shows at Good Times any damn Wednesday she pleases.

Kevvy popped by for a quick hey gurl hey in a pair of cute polka-dotted shorts that I'm not-so-secretly coveting right about now.

Stripes on stripes, with bangles and bracelets to boot.

One-half of the DJ and production duo Stereogamous, Jonny (left, with Scott) had just arrived in town earlier that day from London but was kind enough to bring his good energy and good stories from London's Lovebox (he hugged Grace Jones!) with him to Good Times.

Chris reminded me that he'll be in Berlin the first two weeks of July this summer just like me. We are looking forward to backyard dance parties and awesome Italian DJs, because apparently Berlin is all about fantastic DJs from Italy. Who knew.

The one in the San Francisco cyclist cap is all, "hold up. Is Michael T. really dropping Could It Be Magic right about now?" (Answer: yes.)

Kele (left) has previously told me that the soundtracks to my weekly Wednesday parties can sometimes make or break whichever particular date is he on that evening. I don't actually think he was on a date last Wednesday but since he didn't leave till last call, I'm guessing we may have "made it" for him that night.

A hunky dory time with some hunky dorothies.

Adam (left) and a super friendly chap who complimented me not only on my party but my social networking presences that led him to my party. Come back again soon!

Is it 2am yet? Can we play the super extended remixes of Love to Love You and Try Me Try Me Try Me Try Me Try Me yet?

In lieu of Nana's tambourine shows, she was kind enough to hop on the pole with Alvin for some old school pole shows, which we all enjoyed a little too much.

DJ conference time in the bathroom. This is how Nita, Magnan and I share all our latest and greatest gossip and music discoveries. True story.

At some point in the evening, Michael T.'s set went from stellar to legendary as the entire venue began feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeling it all at once.

Xander, feeeeeeeeeeeeeeling it.

It's official: the Jennifer Beal off-the-shoulder is the new black!

The cuteness that is Duan.

In this small gay world in which we live, it shouldn't surprise me that this Australian (right) and San Franciscan (left) not only know one another but ran into each other at Good Times and kiki-ed the night away.

Donna Summer singalong moment!

One of the evenings many highlights was this moment when Michael T. played Chic Cheer, descended from the DJ booth and proceeded to give voguing shows with a pair of baseball hats.

The hotness that is Sam and Michael on the hottest night (literally) of 2012 thus far.

"NO TMZ SHOTS! WE BEG OF YOU!"

"Liberian Girl, you know that you came and you changed my world."

The following day, Michael texted me to say he had drank ten or more shots the night before, though I'm pretty sure he just wanted to hug it out with as many Good Timers as possible, including barman Darren.

Two of the baddest girls I know.

We are all officially obsessed with this elderly fellow who appears between 2 and 4am on Wednesdays and won't be photographed but is nothing but complimentary about our disco selections and always throws in a story or two about "the old days."

NO CAPTION NECESSARY.

We should have asked him to announce that it was time for last call but it looked like he just having too much fun.

Yup. It was another really really really fun Good Times. Come next week for W. Jeremy, who will be filling in for me while I'm out in San Francisco DJing Juanita More's Pride Party and Wednesday night Booty Call party. xx, Sparber

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Fresh from the shores of the Bosphorous, my latest mix has finally landed just in time for summer. I made it while in Istanbul for two weeks so its a hodgepodge of nu disco, house and some Turkish bellydance thrown in towards the end. Soundcloud isn't loving it right now (copyright infringement issues) so you'll have to head to iTunes for the free download. And subscribe to my podcast while you're at it. You can grab it over HERE.

DJ Chauncey D., creator and mother of the House of Dandridge, has been a resident at Nowhere Bar for almost as long as we've been doing our weekly Wednesday Good Times party at Eastern Bloc. Since we haven't had the chance to attend as many of Chauncey's Beetlejuice parties as we would like, we thought it'd be perfect to bring Chauncey over to Good Times for a guest set and some catch up cocktails.

Mikey (right) and I both dressed in white by sheer coincidence, though we both enjoy the virginal connotations that go along with our color of choice.

Adam (right) and Edwin hugged it out shortly before Edwin and I began planning our return trip to west coast Fire Island aka Palm Springs for this coming fall/winter.

Of course Ron (left, with Natasha and Jay) walked in the moment I put on an amazing track he had introduced me to a few months earlier, which he unleashed yet again this past Saturday at his all stupendous Wrecked party.

BOOTH VIEW! We're without a cameraman once again, which meant I had the good fortune of taking photos of all the folks who requested Scissor Sisters' Let's Have a Kiki, including this lot here.

Letting me HAVE IT with that shoulder action, Jennifer Beals Flashdance style.

My super sexy neighbor for two and a half more months. Then Luigi will disappear into the winds of the west side, only to be heard from on birthdays, New Years and Halloween.

The most photographed spot in Eastern Bloc, modeled by one gay at a time.

I haven't felt much of a need to work on a base tan thus far into the summer, though seeing these three beaus of varying shades is making me yearn for a trip to Riis Beach right about now.

INTRODUCING CHAUNCEY AND THE HOUSE OF DANDRIDGE! (I wanted to get on the mic and say that but its not that kind of party. Sorry Chauncey!)

Jack (center) just DJed his first Friday gig at Metropolitan and is still going strong with his own residency at Nowhere Bar and his Bed Stuy monthly, Boy Please. Next DJ stop: High Tea (once that damn Pavilion is rebuilt. In 2016).

I finally received a memo this week stating that I am overdue for a denim workshirt. Apparently its a wardrobe necessity. Who knew?

Master baker (and chef) Tyler clued me into his numerous culinary projects happening in New York City right now, one of which involves looking for rich benefactors to finance his own eatery. This could be you! (and if so, I'm in need of a rich benefactor as well. For vinyl-buying purposes only).

Philip D., who had a really hard time keeping them eyes open when the flash went off. I had to be like, "cameras ready, prepare to flash" just to get a useable shot.

AB SOTO IN THE HOUSE (center)! And he'll be performing at next week's Good Times as well, which just happens to be our annual Endless Donna Summer Good Times party with the one and only Michael T.

Demonstrating the proper Good Times way to greet a friend or a stranger.

Though I don't get up to the front of the bar all that much, I must say that the bathroom line and bathroom shows always seem to be the cutest in the bar.

And speaking of the legendary Eastern Bloc bathrooms, I spied some new artwork up on the walls this week.

Nancy Sinatra now greets you in one of our two Good Times toilet stall options. She also says, "these boots were made for dancing, not camping out in the bathroom all night. Now get outta here."

I think Quinn's beard is stealing the spotlight in this here photo in all of its ginger glory.

David's back! Spencer's back! And finally the rain has stopped and summer is back in New York in the form of a heatwave. Good Times!

Getting into that Sharon Needles tank top of his while being simultaneously repulsed and obsessed with his Grindr hat. Do you think kids will wear that in a kitsch, nostalgic way in the year 2018 (aka the year that the Fire Island Pavilion reopens)?

More photos of my Jennifer Beals inspiration of the evening.

Volpe (right) and K. Giss, making the rounds and getting down to Chauncey D.

We have yet to do a White Zombie Good Times party, though if we ever throw Big Scot a birthday happening, I'll be sure to include some on the playlist.

That moment when someone spontaneously takes to pole dancing. And they're wearing a Grindr baseball cap.

My muse in 2012 and pretty much my muse for life, Xander, being ogled by DJ Michael Magnan (left) who also celebrated his birthday at midnight that night. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!

I half imagined the bar to be empty when I arrived at 10pm but to my surprise, we had a packed house for the majority of the evening. Perhaps I should travel to (and then return from) Istanbul more often.

AB's backpack was definitely the talk of the bar, as I overheard some queens chitchatting about it when I ordered drinks and caught some other queens on the bathroom line talking about it as well. Can't wait to see what he wears to next week's performance.

How do you deee-lectable, deee-vine, deee-gorgeous?

Marko shared the AWFUL news that he might be moving back to Macedonia in a few more weeks. On the brighter side, we're already planning Good Times Macedonia in 2012/2013.

Steven (right) and Momo told me their goal for the next year was to "attend Good Times as much as possible since it always lives up to its namesake." And then I paid them off handsomely.

Jefferson and Jeferson! Yes, I staged this photo since I am a dork and was excited to be in the presence of two handsome Brazilians named Jef(f)erson and listen to them speak in Portuguese and then pretend to know what they were saying.

Me and my neighbor, buddy and now laundromat partner Mark S. (left), who goes to the same 24-hour laundry spot as me but probably frequents it more during daylight hours, whereas I love a late-night, 4am laundry pick-up.

This week, Xander also turned up at Ron Like Hell's Wrecked party and told me that people who say nightlife is dead in New York City don't know where to look. PREACH! He also predicts a preponderance of new nightlife opportunities in the year 2014. THE ORACLE HAS SPOKEN!

Ladies who love the pole AND the hole.

There have been whispers of late that Eastern Bloc co-owner Darren is actually immune to aging or might even be aging in reverse, Benjamin Button style.

A big thank you to DJ Chauncey D. for bringing the House of Dandridge to Good Times and for continuing the fight to legalize dancing in New York City. (In case you didn't know, it is illegal to dance in most NYC venues if they don't have a license which is pretty fucked up).

Marwin (right) and a friend who is teetering on the border of skinny jeans and leggings. Or are those just jeggings? What exactly is a jegging?

Eugene Tambourine (left) and his man in their unique, trademark head gear.

Jonathan and Jake, canoodling in a booth as the evening wound down.

And last but not least, these lovely young Turks came by for a nightcap just as I was wrapping up so we chatted about Istanbul and crazy Turkish cab drivers and my Baklava addiction. Thanks to everyone who came out! See you next week for our annual Endless Donna Summer Good Times with guest DJ Michael T. and a performance by AB Soto. xx, Sparber